Exploratory analysis of the variability of surface ceramics at El Carmen 2 site (Santa María Valley, Tucumán)

Abstract

This article presents a characterisation of surface ceramics collected from the El Carmen 2 site, (Santa María Valley, Tucumán Province, Argentina). The aim is to present a preliminary insight concerning the repertoire of variants produced and used by the occupants of the settlement over time. Based on the macroscopic and sub-macroscopic analyses as well as the application of statistical techniques of multivariate analysis (cluster analysis), the grouping of 289 families of fragments was carried out, linking three aspects constitutive of ceramics – surface treatment, paste, and morphology. Taking into consideration the existing knowledge concerning the temporal ranges of the pottery styles recognized in the sample, we discuss the implications of the greater and lesser chronological homogeneity observed in the generated groups. We also assess the association within the same of the diagnostic ceramic vis-à-vis less known styles.